The Happiest Place on Earth??? (Part 1)

Dictionary.com defines peeve as “a source of annoyance or irritation”. No day in the self-proclaimed “Happiest Place On Earth” would be complete without getting annoyed or irritated about something (a little or a lot). Doesn’t matter if you’re 2 years old or 82, something or someone is going to get under your skin in the course of your day at the park. If you’re staying at the resort for several days, start multiplying….  Here are some of mine. I’m sure I’ll think of more hence the “Part 1” in the title.

Survey Takers – “Excuse me sir, may I ask you a few questions about your visit to the park?” If you’re park hopping, you may have to deal with this question more than once in a day. Here are the only two things Disney needs to know. Their park experience is second to none. The price of that experience is way too expensive.

No Flash Photography – It’s posted on signs, it’s announced over loudspeakers, reminders are given by castmembers and then no sooner has a ride or show started, off go the flashes. Most of the time it’s not done by a lot people, just a select few. Now they could have missed the announcement by accident, there may be a language barrier, they may just forget to turn a flash off, but most of the time I’m convinced the “no flash photography” instructions are ignored because some people just don’t care.

Let’s Just Something Quick to Eat – It never ceases to amaze me how the walk up counter service dining facilities in the 2 parks are so slow about getting your food order ready when the food is essentially pre-made. I think I’ve wait at a window (after paying) 10 minutes for my order and I was the 2^nd guy in line. It’s probably faster to eat at a table service dining facility because they tend to turn over guests quicker to make the constant stream of reservations available.

This Looks Like a Nice Place to Watch – so you arrive early, maybe hours early, to watch fireworks, Fantasmic, or a parade, and you’re feeling pretty good about your spot then 10 minutes before show time a family of 27 tries to elbow their way right in front of you. 

Complainers – Hey, this whole post is based on complaining but what I’m talking about here is having to watch people who lividly complain to castmembers about some action or instruction the castmember does or requests is done because  1) it is part of the castmember job (i.e. the moving of strollers) or 2) the castmember is trying to protect the safety of the park guests. No castmember is working to make your day at the park miserable. They are there to ensure everyone’s day is not only an enjoyable and memorable one but also safe one.

Gridlock – This mostly comes when throngs gather to watch an attraction or event or when the same throng tries to leave the same attraction or event at the same time and you find yourself getting nowhere very fast. The inevitable question “Why did they let so many people in here?” The answer is they paid their money and the fire marshal says it’s OK.

SoCal Annual Passholder Attitudes – Some AP’s, especially local Southern California AP’s, walk around with the attitude that says the park is theirs – their AP brings special privileges above and beyond the “common” park guest. These are the same people who eat outside the park or bring in their backpacks full of food and don’t buy anything because they’re in the park every other week. Wait a minute jack. Disney loves AP’s because the keep a  constant cash flow going with renewals. The person Disney really loves is someone who takes his family on a 5 day vacation to the Disneyland Resort every other year, stays at one of the Disney hotels, eats meals in the park or at the hotel, and leaves with a boatload of souvenirs. That person is going to drop more cash on his family’s vacation than some local AP’s spend in 5 years (or more). Everyone needs to remember their place. We’re all just paying pawns.

Unannounced or Unplanned Closures of Rides and Attractions (this is for the day, not the temporary closures of a few minutes to a few hours that may occur in the course of a day) - Sometimes it can't be helped but I still don't like it. And there always seems to be a sense of mystery of why the ride or attraction is closed off schedule.

I’m sure I’ll remember more of my gripes but this seems like a pretty good start.